Potato-digger



Patented lune I3, |899. J. BECKER.v

No. 626,96I.

2 Sheen-Sheet I.

m 9 .m R. E8 Ga Gn Mn m .mm Am .mm n- Pm A VJIIIIW lllllllllll |||4 Y .h nnw i.

No. 626,9sl.

Patented lune I3, |899. J. BECKER. y

POTATO BIGGER.

(Application filed Feb. 28, 1898.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

hum.

NITED STATES PATENT firmen.

JOHN BECKER, OF GLEN VIEW, ILLINOIS.

POTATO-DIGG ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 626,961, dated J' une 13, 1899.

Application filed February 2S, 1898. Serial No. 671,926. (No model.)

T0 all whom, it may 0071/067171,.-

Beit know-n that I, JOHN BECKER, a citizen of the United States, residingat Glen View, in the county of Cook and St-ate of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvem ents in Potato-Diggers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Myinvention relates to a novel construction in a potato-harvester, the object being to provide a device of this character in which the potatoes will be dug up, thoroughly cleaned, and deposited upon the. ground behind the machine; and it consists in the features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a potato-harvester constructed inaccordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section of same, taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section on the line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a' detail view in elevation, showing the construction of the vibrating grate-bars. Fig. 6 is a detail view showing the gear-casing I employ.

Referring now to said drawings, A indicates a draft-beam provided on each side, adjacert to its middle portion and rear end, with recessed plates 1, between which and said beam A the ends 2 of the frame-pieces 3 and 4 are adapted to be received. Said frame-pieces 3 and 4 are practically Z-shaped and at their lower ends are supported upon the axle 5 and pins 6 of the wheels '7 and 8. Said framepieces 4 are bent at their lower ends, as at 9, to support a plowshare 10, which is adapted to ,dig up the potatoes with the earth.Y The frame-pieces 3 vand 4 are connected together by means of side plates 11, which are enlarged between their ends to form bearings, in which the parallel crank-shafts 12 are journaled. Each of said shafts 12 is provided at one end with a pinion 13, which intermeshes with a cog-wheel 14, mounted upon a shaft 15, which is journaled in one of said plates 11 and in a plate or gear-casing 16 secured to said plate. A sprocket-wheel 17 on said shaft 15 is geared to a sprocket-wheel 1S on the axle 5 by-means of the chain 19. Said wheels 7 are provided with spokes 18, projecting through the rim thereof, and which areadapted tosink into the ground to prevent slipping, so as to insure operation of said crankshafts 12. Said crank-shafts 12 are each provided with a plurality of wrists corresponding in number and relative position. Rods 20 are mounted upon said wrists of said crank-shafts 12,.each of said rods being mounted upon two correspond# ing wrists of said crank-shafts. In this manner a double reciprocating movement will be imparted to said rods, which all together form an agitating-platform, which serves to break up the earth delivered upon same, and thus separates the potatoes therefrom. The earth will obviously fall through the int'erstices between said rods, while the potatoes, being too large t0 fall through, will gradually move to and fall from the rear end of said platform, the latter being rearwardly inclined for this purpose. Said rods 2O are bent between their ends to form semicircular loops 21, in which the wrists of one of'said crank-shafts 12 are adapted to be received. At their rear ends said rods 2O are bent to form circular loops 22, adapted to receive the wrists of the other crank-shaft, and from said loops 22 extend rearward toward said loops 21, said extensions being provided adjacent to their end with loops 23,-in

which and said loops 21 said wrists of saidsaid rods by means of bolts 24. Said wheels 8 are journaled upon the pins or projections 6 of guide-plates 26, slidingly mounted. upon said frame-pieces 4 and secured thereto by means of bolts 27, passing through slots 2S'in said frame-pieces. Said guide-plates 26 are also provided with flanges 29, adapted to engage the edges of said frame-pieces 4. One of said iianges 29 of each of said guide-plates 26 is provided with a perforated lug 30, in which the lower end of a rod 31 is pivotally secured and connects said guide-plate with the elbow of a bell-crank lever 32, which is pivoted at one end to the upper porti-on of each ofsaid framepieces 4. The other upwardly-extending arms of the bell-crank levers 32 are connected by means of rods 33 with a handle 34, which lies upon the rear IOO end portion of the beam A. By pulling upon said handle 34 said bell-crank levers 32 will be turned upon their pivots, thus depressing the guide-plates 26 and raising the framepieces 4. In this manner the plow 10 will be raised out of the ground and be supported upon said wheels 8. By means of the rearwardly-extending arms 35 the wheels 7 can be raised out of contact with the ground and the entire device turned and guided in any desired direction.

My device is simple, durable, efiicient, and less expensive than other devices of this character. l

I claim as my invention- 1. In a potato-digger, the combination with a frame comprising a plurality of f rame-pieces secured at their upper ends to a draft-beam and supported at their lower ends upon wheels and supporting a plow, of parallel crankshafts journaled in bearings in said frame and provided with a pl urality of cranks,vibrat ing slats mounted each upon cranks of said crank-shafts and composing a vibrating platform adapted to receive potatoes and earth from said plow and separate the same, gearing between said crank-shafts and one of the v rear wheels of the machine, and means for 2. In a potato-digger, the combination of a frame comprising a plurality of frame-pieces secured at their upper ends to a draft-beam and supported at theirlower ends upon wheels and supporting a plow, crank-shafts journaled in bearings in said frame and provided with a plurality of cranks, vibrating slats mounted each upon cranks of said crankshafts andcomposing a Vibrating platform adapted to receive potatoes and earth from said plow and separate the same, gearing between said crank-shafts and one of the rear wheels of the machine, and means for withdrawing said plow from the earth to turn said machine, said means comprising guide-plates slidingly mounted upon the forward framepieces and connected by rods with the elbows of bell-crank levers pivoted at one of their ends to the upper portions of said forward fram e-pieces,and at their other ends by means of rods, with a handle, whereby by pulling said handle rearwardly said wheels will be depressed and said plow raised, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN BECKER.

Vitnesses RUDOLPH WM. Lorz, JOHN BECKER, Jr. 

